Unique Salad
John Rocha
John Rocha is, perhaps, one of the most underrated figures on the fashion scene, despite his particular approach to design and his own distinctive style. Yet, this Hong Kong born fashion designer, now based in Ireland, is worldwide known for his hand-crafting, beading and appliquée to garments, and also for his passion for jewelry, decoration and architecture. John has also turned his design skills to interior designs as well as launching home and clothing lines at Debenhams. Once awarded with the British Designer of the Year (1994), John Rocha was left in oblivion. And that’s not fair for a designer who’s constantly working and improving each season with new fabrics and creative techniques.
Anyway, John Rocha SS 2012 Collection, that he showed at London Fashion Week, absolutely needs un certain regard. I mean, look at those beautiful raffia dresses, those crochet details and exquisite silk drapes! John Rocha is renowned for his use of contrasting textures and muted colors, marrying age-old materials and techniques with contemporary shapes. Inspired by natural elements, his work is somehow beyond fashion. His clothes are modern and yet timeless. Isn’t that exactly what we need- timeless well crafted pieces, that can be creatively styled while being worn, adding a girly, a grungy, a romantic touch? Oh yes, the styling of this collection is fantastic: shaded make-up, elaborate hair dressing and those statement head pieces.
images via awake-smile.blogspot.com
Look Into My Eyes
“Eyescapes” series, photographed by John Rankin
( I have a huge respect for Rankin’s work, but I was really impressed with these close-ups)
Livin’ In A Cage (Part 2)
We’ve already admired Gareth Pugh’s white-cage-dress, featured in a recent editorial of Tush Magazine. And now, here’s a black-cage version, in a beauty editorial of Vogue Russia.
Hush editorial in Vogue Russia, February 2012/Model: Alla Kostromicheva / Photo: Emma Tempest/ Styling: Camilla Pole/ Hair: Halley Brisker / Make-up: Zoe Taylor/ image via fashiongonerogue.
*JEFTA*
Jefta is young (24), Jefta is talented, Jefta loves art, and, most of all, Jefta is mad about the human body. His photographic work revolves around the body, exploring it in various creative ways, from lighting to projecting, from freezing to fragmenting, constructing and deconstructing, always questioning and finally refining a very personal statement.
Jefta Hoekendijk, or simply JEFTA, is the name behind this stunning photo series, entitled Human Sculpture.
Celebrating Alaïa
Groniger Museum is built on the water of the Verbindings Canal in Groningen, a town in the northern Netherlands. And now, the Groniger Museum presents its second Azzedine Alaïa retrospective, open to the public from 11 December 2011 to 6 May 2012. As the exhibition curator, Mark Wilson, pointed out – “Azzedine is one of the last great couturiers working today—I honestly felt I had no choice but to do a second exhibition.”
This retrospective, entitled “Azzedine Alaïa in the 21st Century”, displays the most fantastic fashion creations of designer’s last ten years. No need to talk about Alaïa’ s huge contribution to the fashion world… his form-fitting shapes, sculptural dresses, smart cuts, flawless surfaces. He’s a major couturier (probably the last one still in action), and he’s a rare bird in the fashion landscape, not only for his passion and perfectionism, but also for his personal attitude. His choice to stay away from the contemporary fashion game, his rejection of fast forward systems – it’s all about the wisdom and the honesty of a true createur. Alaïa’s work it’s an artist’s work, it’s all about searching, polishing the shape, experimenting with the fabrics, it’s about permanently exploring the intimate relationship between the dress and the woman’ s body.
Anyway, what I wanted to say is that this exhibition presents not only a bunch of beautiful clothes, but Alaïa’s most important achievement - simplicity and timelessness.
